Waking Up
by rhapsodyflower
Summary: It's been a year since Michelle's accident, and her amnesia never went away. How will her family react when her memory finally returns?


**Okay. This is a short, one-chapter story that takes place after the second-to-the-last episode, where Michelle falls off her horse. The same things happen as in the last episode, only instead of just a day, her amnesia lasts for over a year. This story describes the day her memory finally came back.**

**In truth, I wrote this on a whim, and I'm really not too proud of it. It's pretty serious, and it was hard for me to write. But I thought I'd post it anyway, to see what you guys think. If I get some good reviews, I'll leave it up. So read on, my friends! -rf-**

A girl of about nine wandered down the stairs of the Tanner household, rubbing her head. She stepped down into the kitchen, where she saw a tall, blonde man with his head in the refrigerator, surveying its contents.

"Joey?"

The man looked up. "Well, good morning, Michelle! Would you like a piece of my sandwich?"

"Uh...okay." The girl sat up at the counter, looking perplexed. She rubbed her head some more.

"Thank you very much for remembering my name today. I knew we were making progress!"

Michelle frowned up at him. "Joey, what are you talking about?"

Joey cut off some sandwich and put it on a paper plate for his company. "Aw, don't worry about it, Michelle. It's nothing."

Michelle took the sandwich.

"Where is everybody? Is Dad home?"

Joey gave her a surprised look.

"Why, yes. Yes he is."

"Well, where is he?"

Joey kept looking at her. "He's outside putting a playhouse together for Nikki and Alex. Boy, Michelle, you must've had a pretty good nap."

Michelle frowned again.

"Nap? Joey, what are you saying? I didn't take a nap."

Joey shrugged, and his surprise went away. Every time she slept, she forgot something. Sometimes, it was just little things, like the fact that she'd laid down for a nap only two hours ago. Other times, they had to remind her of the names of everyone in her family. This was one of her good days. Sighing, Joey changed the subject as he turned back to the fridge.

"So, Michelle, how about we go to the zoo today? Just you and me?"

"The zoo? I can't go to the zoo! I've got to get back to the competition!"

He stopped.

"Competition?"

"Yeah, the riding competition! I mean, I fell off and I guess Dad brought me home...did I miss it?"

At that moment, realization hit. Joey dropped the sandwich. The next thing Michelle knew, she was locked in Joey's arms.

"Oh, Michelle! Michelle, you're back!"

"Back from what? Why are you hugging me?"

The man kept on hugging. Tears ran down his face.

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe this. Oh - I have to tell...Danny!" he shouted, running over to the back door and throwing it open. "Danny! Get in here, quick!'

Startled, Mr. Tanner stood up from his crouching position inside the playhouse, immediately banging his head in the process.

"Joey, what do you want?" he stammered, a bit agitated at the interruption to his work. He stumbled out of the playhouse and saw his friend, with a look of jubilation on his face.

"Michelle! She remembers!"

Danny became instantly alert. "Oh, my God! " He sprinted into the kitchen. He grabbed his confused daughter's hand, pulling her off the barstool she was sitting on. Then he crouched down, and looked her straight in the eyes.

"Michelle, do you know who I am?"

"Yes...you're my dad." She said. Apparently, her family had gone nuts.

"What's that last thing you remember?"

"Uh, I fell off my horse."

Immediately, she found herself in another hug. Her father practically squeezed the life out of her as he sobbed uncontrollably.

"Oh, my baby girl! My baby girl's come back to us! It's a miracle!"

Just then, they heard pounding down the stairs.

"Dad, is it true? Did Michelle get her memory back?"

Seeing that his friend was a bit preoccupied at the moment, Joey answered for him.

"Yeah, Steph." he said, in overjoyed tears. "It's true."

"DJ!!!!!" She screamed up the stairs. "Michelle's back!"

Donna Joe pounded down after her sister. "Steph, if you're joking - " She stopped mid-sentence and gasped, before both of them ran to join the embrace.

"Daddy, what's going on?" The poor girl in the center of it asked, muffled by her father's shoulder.

Just then, more noise was heard as a suave-looking man in an undershirt thundered down at an alarming speed, a comb stuck in his hair.

"Did I hear you right?" he anxiously inquired, gestering to the tearful group. "I-Is my niece cured?"

By this point, Joey could only nod. Not that Jesse Katsopolis really needed an answer. Staring in astonishment, his ran his hand through his hair, sending the comb clattering to the floor. Two little boys and a beautiful woman slowly emerged behind him. The boys looked in wonder, and a knowing smile spread across their mother's face.

"Dad, please tell me why you're doing this! Why is everyone acting this way?"

At last, Mr. Tanner drew back and looked at his daughter again.

"Michelle, honey..." he said, voice trembling, "you don't know what's happening, do you?"

"I have no idea."

He lifted the girl up into his arms, and softly kissed her forehead. "Don't worry, Michelle." he told her. "Everything's fine now. Everything's alright."

The two teenage girls standing beside them looked on, eyes shining. Their uncle watched as well, an overjoyed grin on his face. His wife placed her hand on his shoulder and smiled tenderly, while their children clung at their sides. And Joey, who along with his best friend and his friend's brother-in-law had watched this girl grow up and had been there her entire life, stood sobbing and wiping his eyes with his shirtsleeve. "It's so beautiful." he said, laughing even as he cried.

Michelle was still completely unaware of the incredible joy she'd just given them, but she hugged her father's neck. She would know soon enough.


End file.
